To Speak the Truth

I have been a Catholic all my life. I was educated in quality orthodox Catholic Schools. I have been well catechized, have a well-formed conscience, and am theologically literate. So that's the context for what I am about to say:

While the Roman Catholic Church is within its right to stand for marriage as one man and one woman, Newark Archbishop Myers has publicly abused his teaching authority with [this week's] statement as far as his remarks about marriage equality and the reception of Communion. There is NOTHING in Catholic teaching that supports his assertion that pro-equality Catholics should refrain from receiving the Eucharist. There is also nothing in true Church teaching that equates sexual "im/morality" with the fundamental life question of elective abortion. Such a point of view is the minority personal opinion of an unfortunately growing number of bishops who as human beings articulate and propogate their own individual (mis)interpretation of Catholicism. Interestingly and sadly many of these same bishops have been blatantly complicit in the crime of pedophilia committed against children by R.C. clergy. I respect Myers as a human person and his role as archbishop of the See of Newark, but let's be clear about the significance of his statement: it is grounded in personal interpretation, it is not an ex cathedra (infallible statement of the Church), and it is characterized by homophobia and not embedded in the breadth of Church teaching on human sexuality, morality, life, and/or the Eucharist. As a Catholic, I apologize for those hurt by his statement and will do my part to speak the Truth. To be clear, while his statement may be packaged otherwise, on this issue John Myers speaks for himself, not for Jesus Christ or the Church.